Improvement in paper-files



b 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. W. LAPHAM. Paper-Pile.

No. 214,405. Patented April 15, 1879.

MW 5 I44"? A W 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D,v W. LAPHAM. Paper-Fife.

Patented April 15, 1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL W. LAPHAM, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-FILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,405, dated April15, 1879; application filed March 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL W. LAPHAM, of Washington, in the county ofWashington, and in the District of Columbia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Paper- Files; and do hereby declare that thefollowin g is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im proveddevice as arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, thefull lines showing the file-hook in engagement with its guard, and thedotted lines said parts disengaged from each other; and Figs. 3 and 4are, respectively, a cross section and a longitudinal section of theengaging ends of said hook and guard.

Letters of like namaand kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The design of my invention is to furnish a simple and efficient meanswhereby loose papers may be temporarily filed for reference; and to thisend it consists in a paper-file constructed in the manner and for thepurpose substantially as hereinafter specified.

1n the annexed drawings, A represents the base or back of my device,constructed of or from sheet metal, having, preferably, the an row-headform shown, and provided near its pointed end with an opening, a, thatdecreases in width from its lower end to its upper end, and furnishes ameans whereby said back may be suspended from a nail which is driveninto a wall or other vertical support.

Secured to the lower end of the back A is one end of a wire, B, whichfrom thence extends in a curve downward, forward, upward,

and inward, and has its upper end curved slightly outward, as shown inFig. 2. The upper end of the wire B is pointed, so as to enable papersto be passed over the same, and serves the usual purpose of a file-hook,said papers being suspended therefrom, as shown by Fig. 1.

In order that papers may be prevented from becoming accidentallydetached, and for the purpose of enabling-any one of said papers to beremoved without rendering necessary the removal of the other papers, Isecure to the upper end of the back-plate A one end of a wire, 0, whichfrom thence extends in a curve upward, forward, and downward, and at itslower end overlaps the upper pointed end of the hook B from one-eighthto threeeighths of an inch.

The side of the wire 0 next to the backplate A is grooved to correspondto the shape of the outer side of the pointed end of the hook B, so thatif said hook end is placed within said groove 0 said wire or guard Gwill form a continuation of said hook, and at the point of theirengagement the general transverse dimensions and shape of each will bepcrserved.

The hook B and guard G are arranged so that the pointed end of theformer has a tendency to spring outward beyond the lower end ofthe'latter, and when placed in engagement with the groove 0, suchoutward spring will cause said parts to maintain their said engagementand prevent accidental separation.

The device is now complete, and is used as follows, viz: The hook Bbeing disengaged from its guard, any papers desired are passed over itspointed end, after which said hook is passed behind and caused to engagewith said guard. If it becomes necessary to remove any one of the paperssuspended from said hook, all papers above it are slipped upward uponthe guard-wire, after which said hook is disengaged, the desired paperremoved, and said hook again engaged, and the papers upon said guardmoved downward to place.

The back-plate A may be made from east or sheet metal; but I prefer tomake use of the latter and to emboss the same, so as to secure a maximumof rigidity with a minimum of weight.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, whatI claim as new 1S The liereinbefore-described paper file, con sisting ofthe base or back plate A, adapted to be suspended from a wall, thefile-hook B, attached to the lower end of said plate, extending thencein a curve downward, forward, and upward, and having its upper endpointed, and the guard 0, attached at one end to the upper end of saidplate, extending in a curve upward, forward, and downward, and

provided at its lower end, within its rear side, III testimony that Iclaim the foregoing I with a groove or recess, 0, which corresponds havehereunto set my hand this 19th day of to thepointed end of said hook,whereby,when March, 1879.

the latter is placed within said groove, the

outward spring of said hook will hold said D. Vv'. LAPIIAM. parts inengagement, and said guard will form a continuation of said hook, andsaid engaging \Vitnesses:

ends will have substantially the same dimen- GEO. S. PRINDLE,

sions as other portions of the latter, substan- WILLIAM FITCH.

tially as and for the purpose specified.

